Humanity has so thoroughly banished hunger that, as of this year, there are more obese kids than there are underweight kids.
Yes — that statement is basically true, and recent data supports it. Below is a summary with context. --- ✅ What the data shows globally According to UNICEF, in 2025 for the first time ever, more children and adolescents (ages 5–19) worldwide are obese than underweight. The report shows obesity among this age group reached 9.4%, while underweight dropped to 9.2%. In absolute numbers, that translates to roughly 188 million children and adolescents worldwide living with obesity. At the same time, underweight among 5–19-year-olds — once much more common — has been steadily falling for decades (from ~13 % in 2000 to 9.2 % in 2025). So yes — globally speaking, the balance has tipped: overweight/obesity among children is now more widespread than underweight. --- ⚠️ What this DOES – and DOES NOT – mean ✔️ What it does mean There has truly been a global nutrition shift: fewer children are suffering from under-nutrition (lack of sufficient calories), and more ...